North East Child Poverty Commission

This is an issue we've been asking North East MPs to raise with Government, as six of our region's twelve local authorities currently operate income-banded Council Tax Reduction schemes.

Read our short briefing: nechildpoverty.org.uk/news/univers...

Important piece from @resolvepoverty.org, on the potential unintended consequences of lifting the two-child limit in Universal Credit, if the interaction of this with 'income-banded' Council Tax Reduction schemes isn't addressed.

Longer-term funding for locally-delivered crisis support was one of the key asks made in our submission to the Government's Child Poverty Taskforce - read more: tinyurl.com/bdzd2map

Great to see the new Crisis & Resilience Fund being officially launched in Sunderland last week, with three years of funding; a strong focus on prevention; and prioritising a cash-first (but not cash-only) approach to supporting families in financial crisis ⤵️

www.sunderlandecho.com/news/people/...

And congratulations to Sean Harris from @teesvalleyed.bsky.social and Suzanne Jobson from @childrennortheast.bsky.social for becoming our new Vice Chairs!

Special thanks to Mairi Warrington for joining us from the Government’s Child Poverty Unit to discuss the new national child poverty strategy - as well as to our members for exploring what NECPC should focus on in the coming year (just sorry the meeting was so busy we forgot to take a photo 🙁)

Another grey day at Grey’s Monument - but thank you to Newcastle Building Society for hosting us in their new Monument branch community room for what was a lively and productive North East Child Poverty Commission meeting this afternoon.

Across the UK, millions of children are living in fuel poverty. Our final #FuelPovertyConf session of the day is shining a light on the toll fuel poverty takes on children’s health, wellbeing, education and life chances.

North East campaigners welcome 'beginning of the end' for two-child benefit cap Plans to abolish the two-child benefit cap this April could “immediately lift tens of thousands of children out of poverty across our region”, it is hoped

🗨️ 'The beginning of the end of one of the worst policies imposed on children in modern times'

Read our Chair Beth Farhat's response to this week's vote in Parliament on the legislation that will end the two-child limit in Universal Credit, from this April 👇

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

Read the full plan here: tinyurl.com/3a4nsuj7

Yesterday, the North East CA Cabinet formally agreed its new corporate plan, covering 2026-30.

Really important to see this continued focus & longer-term commitment to prioritise reducing child poverty, tackling inequality & breaking down barriers to opportunity for babies, children & young people.

🔴 Alongside many others, both here in the North East and across the country, we have advocated extensively for an end to this cruel policy over many years.

🟢 NECPC therefore strongly welcomes this legislation and has written to all North East MPs with a short briefing urging them to back it ⤵️

Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty Strategy document setting out the government’s ambitious decade long mission to tackle the drivers of child poverty across the UK.

🚸 The Bill will enact, from April 2026, the Government's commitment to end the two-child limit in Universal Credit that has been in place since 2017 - as the central plank of its new national child poverty strategy, 'Our Children, Our Future'.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament Current version of Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill with latest news, sponsors, and progress through Houses

📃 Later today, the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill has its second reading in Parliament.

This will be the first opportunity for MPs to debate and vote on the principles of the legislation.

bills.parliament.uk/Bills/4059

Statement on Bill to end the two-child limit 65 organisations have come together to commend the government for making the choice to scrap the two-child limit and ask all MPs to stand with children and support this Bill.

Read our statement and the full list other signatories ⤵️

cpag.org.uk/news/stateme...

Today the Bill to end the two-child limit starts to make its way through Parliament.

This policy is responsible for driving child poverty to its current record high, with a devastating impact on young lives.

We have joined with 65 other organisations in asking all MPs to back this Bill.